Three Sindh secys apply for leave

NAB’s anti-corruption drive

KARACHI - National Accountability Bureau’s crackdown against corruption mafia has jolted Sindh as important politicians and government officials involved in this connection have started fleeing abroad. At least three provincial secretaries have applied for leave following the developments. Several officials of agriculture, municipal, health and other departments are likely to face the anti-corruption onslaught. According to sources, former president Asif Zardari’s brother-in-law and education secretary, Fazlullah Pechuho is on the top who can face the music. Additional Secretary of the CM Secretariat, Ghaur Khan, Karachi Administrator Saqib Soomro, Finance Secretary Sohail Rajput and Finance Additional Secretary Kher Muhammad Kalwar are also in the line. Former secretary Qazi Shahid Pervaiz and ex-FBR member Shazar Shamoon are trying to fly abroad fearing action against them. Information Department official Shahrukh, whose father was an MPA, has sent his resignation from Thailand. He has been facing charges of corruption of millions of rupees. Nawab Manzoor Wassan, Jam Khan Shoro and Jam Mehtab Dahar are the ministers and official who, after sensing intensity of the situation, have planned to visit Saudi Arabia for Umrah. On the other hand, Irum Khalid, Ali Nawaz Mahar, Mukesh Kumar Chawal and Imdad Pitafi are trying to fly for Dubai. Being tipped off by M Khan Chacharm who has been held in Fisherman Cooperative Society case, the security forces have raided a house in Defence and recovered an amount of Rs2.8 million collected from Fish Harbour. M Ali Sheikh, who is a close aide of an important personality and has been arrested from Karachi airport, made stunning revelations during investigation. He has revealed about the officials who are exploiting their powers to collect funds from different government departments. He has revealed the names of government officials from 16 to 20 grade involved in corruption. He said that thousands of acres of government land were purchased on low rates and various politicians are involved in land grabbing. According to source, M Ali Sheikh also revealed that with the connivance of important politicians, they managed to get appointments in police department for DIG to SHO slots and even many banks. On the other hand, allotments of massive business and residential projects have been canceled by NAB after the accused arrested in connection with Lines Area Development Project case made startling revelations. Allotments for two marriage halls were also canceled and the land has been reverted to the ownership of the government. According to sources, officials had unlawfully allotted the small-sized plots to various owners and got all of them merged into a large land unit. Later, a residential project was approved to be built on this big chunk of land. The sources estimated the cost of the recovered land in billions.